Eternal Bond
by JadeLiCat
Summary: An AtlasLivian fic based on the 2004 English dubbed version of Astro Boy. With the disappearance of the robot, Daichi, the motorcycle gang he led is now being run by his best friend, Livian, a human who has sworn to find him and take down Tokugawa.
1. Prologue

Author's Note: This is based on the English dubbed 2004 version of Astro Boy. In that version, Atlas aka Daichi had been a robot his entire life and was still able to grow up like a normal human, so I'm going to use that. I understand that in the true Japanese version, and please do correct me if I'm wrong, that he use to be human, but was reborn as a robot after he was in an accident. I may use that for an AU fic if enough people actually like this one. Now, enough of my babbling, please read, enjoy, and review the fic! Oh, btw, no flamers allowed. If you don't like it, I simply ask that you do not read it.

"Didn't we always promise each other...that we would always be together?"  
Mayu Amakura-Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly

Eternal Bond

Prologue

You promised me that you would always be here for me. I don't blame you for not being able to keep your promise though. I blame Tokugawa. The bastard that treated you like crap most of your life and had the nerve to think he was a father to you. It was he who made you hate all humans, made you think that we were lower than dirt. He even had you deactivated because you had been acting too rebellious for him to handle. Too rebellious?! Ha! Makes me wonder what he would have done with a human kid.

I don't know much about what happened after you tried to hijack that flight to the moon. I had to help my sister cater a party three cities away. I only know what the others told me. That you had been reactivated and had another form. You were finally gonna make Tokogawa pay for his mistreatment towards you. Had I been there, I would have been cheering you on all the way.

However, when I returned to Metro City, you had disappeared. The others hadn't seen you since the night you first transformed. We kept waiting and waiting and still you did not return. We're still waiting for your return, but until then, I've been running the gang, with Saburou as my second in command. He was the one who said I should run things till you came back. Said that I knew how your mind worked better then anyone else.

Gods, I wish that were true. I can guess what you want for the gang, but I do not know your mind. If I did, I would know if you hated me for being a human. We've been best friends since we were little, that should count for something, right? You even gave me a piece of yourself after that accident you were in a few years back. "A part of my soul will always be with you this way," you told me. I still wear it to this day, I've never taken it off, nor will I. Those days are gone now, replaced with bitterness and anger and hatred I wish I had the power to make go away. No one should have been treated the way you were, robot or not. Did you not realize that I don't care if you're human or machine? I have always seen you as my best friend...and more than that. Not that I could ever tell you that of course, you'd probably would have laughed. Now that you're gone though, I wish I had. At least then you would have known and I wouldn't be filled with such regret.

For now, I've been anticipating your return. The others say you are probably dead, but I _refuse_ to believe it. I can feel in my heart and soul that you are alive. You're too proud and strong to give up without a fight! You would _not _let your life simply just slip away into nothingness! The others just need to be more patient, you'll come back to us, I know you will. Until then, though, I've been plotting a little something, a something I know I have no right to do, a something that only you have the honor to do. I'm gonna make Tokugawa pay for what he has done and when I do, if you truly hate all humans, including me, I will end my own life. Extreme, I know, but I do have another option I am considering other then suicide. It is also a costly option, but if I can find a way to do it, I will. If not, death will be my only way out, for I would rather die then know your hatred.


	2. Longing for a Friend

Disclaimer: I do not own Astro Boy, Atlas, Saburou or any of the other characters in the series. I do however own Lucy. Anyway, you get the point, now on with the fic.

"Why is this happening? I wish you were here with me."  
Yuna-Final Fantasy X-2

Eternal Bond

Chapter 1

Her opponent's body flew though the air, crashing against the old brick wall. He crumpled to the ground, spitting up blood before he glared up at her. His dirty green Abcrombie and Fitch hat had somehow managed to stay on during the fight but his glasses had been shattered to pieces. Not that he needed them of course, he only wore them to fool people into thinking he was weak and helpless. She was not so easily tricked, though, and he was now covered head to toe with bruises and cuts.

"You're a traitor to your own race! No human should ever want to be friends with a _robot_!" he growled before he spit at her feet.

The girl merely smirked at him and looked towards her friend, a boy with wild sky blue hair, brown eyes, and a rather long and pointed nose with a red mark that ran straight down the center of it. He stood at about 5'7 and was rather handsome, a true rebel that any girl would kill to have. He also happened to be the "robot" her opponent was talking about.

"Do you wish to finish him off, Saburou, or shall I continue with his ass kicking?"

"I say we both take him down. It'll be more humiliating for him that way," Saburou grinned mischievously, holding his hand out to her.

"Did I ever tell you that I've always liked the way you think?" she asked as she took Saburou's hand without hesitation, their grips remaining firm as they charged towards their prey. The dude with the green hat fumbled back to his feet, turning as swiftly as possible, but not swiftly enough. They kicked him back to the ground, his face impacting with the hard concrete ground, his nose now broken in several different places. He looked up in time to be kicked in the face a by both Saburou's and the girl's foot. They laughed at him as he tried to get back up, his movements slow and wobbly. They then turned, standing back to back to each other, still holding hands.

"Say good night, oh, and by the way, he's an android, not a robot, there is a difference," the girl taunted before both she and Saburou delivered the finishing blow, a kick to his chest and rib area. The move sent him flying and soon he was gone, leaving his gang's former turf behind.

"Easiest one yet, I think they're starting to get scared of us," Saburou released his grip and turned to his fighting partner, Livian Mayu Kiribayashi. She was about 5'3 in height with long blonde hair that was currently being kept in a braid. Her eyes were a deep blue, the color of sapphires as they just hit the light. Her skin had a pale tan to it and her face was very angelic looking. Upon first glance one would notice the small, pale, thin scar across her left cheek. To Saburou, though, the scar was a true sign of her loyalty to the gang and of her unconditional friendship and trust. She had taken over as leader of their gang, the Demon Royals, a suggestion by Saburou approved by the votes of all but one member. The position was only temporary until Daichi returned. Saburou suspected however that he might never return, but he never said that to Livian. To do so would only cause her more pain, which was the last thing he wanted to do to one of the few humans who had been a true friend to him.

"Yeah, but that was the A and F gang we just beat down. You know how they are, all talk and no action. I'm surprised they actually had turf worth taking," she responded, massaging her knuckles lightly.

"Well, it's ours now, I say we go out and celebrate! Party till dawn!" Saburou shouted before he started to howl like a wolf.

"As fun as that sounds, I can't. I promised Lucy I would be back at my apartment before twelve. You know how she is if I'm out too late."

"Yeah, I know. Speaking of which, how is that lovely twin sister of yours doing?" Saburou asked wrangling his eyebrows and a grin spread across his face.

"Same as usual, over stressed and looking for yet _another_ job," Livian replied as she and Saburou got on his rocket motorcycle, Saburou revving it up before he took off for her apartment.

"Another Job?! Doesn't she have three already?" Saburou shook his head at the thought of Lucy having a nervous breakdown at the age of seventeen. The way she was going now, she was heading right for one.

"Yeah, she wants to add another one to the list. She's got an interview for five different jobs, each of which, according to her, has a high salary."

"Lucy really needs to relax that pretty little head of hers or she'll end up getting sick. When's the interview for the first one?"

"Tomorrow, which also happens to be when she has to cater a party. So guess who she asked to substitute for her," Livian said in a sarcastic happy tone.

"From the look on your face, you. I don't se what the big deal is, you usually don't mind helping her out,"

"The party in question is being held by that ignoramus, the 'honorable' Mayor Bakamono Lamp. She knows I hate that stupid prick! Hell, she hates him just as much as I do! Only difference is that she can hold her temper in longer then I can. If he tries to talk to me about robots having no souls or any of that other crap, I'm going to strangle him, consequences be damned!"

"Remind me to never piss you off," Saburou said as they pulled up to her apartment building, a six hundred foot tall steel and titanium complex with fiberglass windows and balconies on every other floor.

"Trust me, that's not something you have to worry about," Livian assured him before she kissed his cheek, "Thanks for the ride, I'll see ya later."

"Anytime. See ya, Vi. Tell Luc 'hi' for me," with that said, Saburou revved up his bike and drove off into the night.

Livian lived on the tenth floor of the Ocean Crest apartment complex, a building meant to be home to the children of the rich. How Livian and Lucy had gotten in was a mystery to their neighbors and would so remain a mystery. She though it was rather amusing to get all the future Bill Gates and Liz Taylors riled up that there was someone in their building living a bohemian life style and was not even the love child of a rich person.

She pulled out her keys and unlocked the door, stepping inside and turning on the light. Her apartment was well furnished and was rather elegant. Not something one would expect of someone who was in a motorcycle street gang. Livian stepped into her bedroom and turned on the light to that room as well, revealing a large lavender room that featured a queen sized bed with lavender and baby blue sheets. She kicked off her shoes and walked to her maple wood dresser, removing a matching PJ set of long pants and a tank top that were navy blue and decorated with embroidered silver moons and stars.

She then took her usual spot on the window seat, looking up at the night sky. She could remember the day she and Daichi first met as if it had just happened yesterday, every detail still fresh in her mind.

She and Lucy were five years old and had just moved into Metro City with their father. He had taken them to the nearest playground he could find, not knowing his way around the city too well. Livian had been playing on the swings when she spotted a boy with crimson hair and blue eyes being picked on by a bigger kid. Having been the victim of bullies herself, she wanted to help the boy. She jumped off the swing, crept up behind the bigger kid as quietly as she could and yanked his pants down to his ankles. The bully stood there in stunned silence for a moment before he looked down and saw that his teddy bear underwear was showing. His face instantly turned red and he ran off, crying for his mommy. When the big kid was gone, she then turned to look at the crimson haired boy and held out her hand to him, a bright smile on her face.

"Hi! I'm Livian! Wanna be best friends?"

Since then, it was rare to see one without the other. Unless Daichi was at his home with Tokugawa, that is. He never had Tokugawa and Livian meet, which was just fine with her. She knew she'd probably try to strangle the bastard. She could see that he caused Daichi so much pain and she wanted nothing more than to make it go away.

_Daichi, please come back. There are so many things I want to say that I should have said long ago._ Before she went to sleep, only one question plagued her mind. A question she longed to know the answer too. _Where are you, Daichi?_


	3. Return to Painful Memories

"Some just can't wait to die!"  
Auron-Final Fantasy X

Eternal Bond

Chapter 2

His feet softly touched the concrete as he descended from the sky. He stumbled a little bit, his body readjusting to the gravity of Planet Earth. He had been in space for so long he had forgotten what it was like to stand and walk on his own two feet, being weighted down by an invisible force.

Atlas surveyed the citizens of Metro City, his gaze as sharp as a hawk. He chuckled to himself as the unsuspecting humans continued their busy routes like mice scurrying though a maze. They were so completely unaware of the danger that stood in their midst that it amused him to no end. He had been more then tempted to start blowing up buildings than and there, but he decided against it. If one wants to cause discord and chaos, one must do it wisely.

He had changed himself into his human form, not wanting to draw attention to himself just yet. A scowl graced his face as he stepped onto the dimly lit street, recognizing that he was in the rich part of Metro City where Bakamano Acetylene Lamp resided. His former home with Tokugawa was in this part of the city; he had spent of a good deal of his life after the age of nine avoiding the place like the plague. Both adult and child alike were superficial, thinking of nothing but themselves with no concern for others. Unwanted memories began to arise within Atlas of him being teased by the snobby children for not being human. He had told Tokugawa about it once; all he had done was scoff and say he should learn to handle it himself.

_Stupid humans! They should all..._ Atlas's chain of thought was interrupted as his highly sensitive hearing picked up the sound of a girl singing as she walked down the street. She sang rather softly to herself, the way one does when having a song stuck in their head they can't get rid of, however, from the sound of her voice, it sounded like she enjoyed the song. Her voice was angelic and sweet, almost like a nightingale that had learned how to use words. There was only one girl Atlas knew of who possessed such a voice. His suspicions were immediately confirmed as he saw Livian walking down the street, a paper bag in her arms, dressed in her caterer's uniform, a navy blue button down shirt, matching slacks, and white sneakers. Her blonde hair was held up in a braid, a few strands curving around her face to hide her scar.

He took a step back, hiding himself further into the shadows, watching as she passed him by without so much as a second glance. For some reason, he did not want to face her just yet. That of course didn't mean he couldn't follow her and make sure nothing happened to her while she walked back to her appointed house. Besides, he was itching for a good fight and wherever Livian went, trouble usually followed.

He kept his head low and stuffed his hands into his leather jacket, his eyes gazing upon the back of his long time friend. He couldn't explain it, but there was something different about her. She still appeared the same as ever; there was just something...else. Something in her demure had changed quite drastically and he wanted to know what that something was. Her eyes always expressed how she was feeling deep down and he had often looked into those sapphire pools many times to read her emotions, but he was unable to do that now. In order to do that, he would have to face her, a feat he was not ready to perform yet.

Her voice wafted gently in the wind, gracing the ears of the few who would listen. Atlas knew this was a clue as to what was so different about her; the problem was that he just did not know what it was he looking for. He had no idea of what change had transpired in her while he was gone.

_Livian, what's wrong? What is it that's so different about you? Ya look like ya got the weight of the world on your shoulders. What could have happened that could do this to you?_

"Hey baby! Nice voice ya got there! Too bad nobody's paying attention!"

Atlas's eyes narrowed at the three boys who had pushed passed him, each dressed in preppy style clothes and who clearly had their greedy eyes on the blonde.

Livian turned around, a rather annoyed look on her face, "And the fact that I'm singing to myself concerns you...how?"

The boy in the middle grinned and took a step closer to her, "We just thought someone as hot as you could join us for a little...private party. We could certainly help you reach those high notes." They boys laughed at their stupid dirty joke while the expression on Livian's face remained the same.

"Really? Well, you know what?" She then proceeded to give them the one finger salute, her expression going from annoyed to pissed off, "You can all screw yourselves for all I care! It's people like you that give the human race a bad reputation!" She then turned on her heel in a huff and walked away, her head held high while the three preps just stood there in mild surprise.

Atlas had his arms wrapped around his stomach, bawling over with laughter from the scene while he stood behind a corner of a nearby building. He liked seeing Livian angry; the reaction on the victim's faces was always so entertaining. Both she and her sister had a reputation for having fearful tempers, he was really the only one who could take whatever she dished out and vise versa. She and Lucy were the only ones who were not afraid to yell back him and he respected them greatly for that. He allowed a few more chuckles to escape him before he stepped back onto the street, still intent on following Livian, but frowned slightly when he saw that the three preppy gang wannabes blocked his sight of her.

"That dirty little bitch!" said the first guy, "She can't talk to us like that! I say we teach her a lesson, what do ya say?" A grin graced their features as they pulled out retractable short swords with silver-blue blades with gold hilts. These swords where known as vibro-blades, a common weapon among the lesser and more savage gangs. They could cut though steel with the greatest of ease and were common torture devices used on robots to entertain the humans who had nothing better to do with their time.

"Heh, heh, this'll certainly make that lower class harlot scream," said the second prep, giving his sword a few test swings, the three of them chuckling at what they planned to do with Livian once they got their hands on her.

"Don't you think those toys are a little too high tech for you?"

Atlas now stood before the three boys, his arms crossed over his chest and a wicked smirk on his face. A silent understanding came before the four as they walked over to the nearest alleyway so the Metro City police would not catch them. Once they were hidden away from the world, the preps lunged at their target all at once. Atlas continued to smirk and merely jumped to the side, holding back a laugh as he watched all three fall to the ground face first. Only the third one stood back up, the blow and knocked out the other two.

"You sorry son of a bitch! You're gonna pay for that!" The prep ran at Atlas and swung his sword at him wildly, missing him every time. The prep then raised the sword over his head in an attempt to split his opponent in half. Out of programming, pure instinct, of whatever one would want to call it for a robot, Atlas raised him arm to ward off the attack, only realizing a second too late what damage vibro-blades could do. When the sword struck him, both gawked in disbelief as the blade shattered into pieces. Atlas's wicked smirk returned, watching as the prep slowly backed away, his face becoming a mask of terror. "Y-You're not human!"

Atlas's smirk just grew wider, "You say that like it's a bad thing," and proceeded to punch and kick the prep until he too lay on the concrete, unconscious. For a brief moment, Atlas considered changing into his other form and blasting them away until they were nothing more then mere ash smudges on the sidewalk, but decided against it. _They're not worth it_. He looked down at the arm that had guarded against the vibro-blade's attack, seeing that the only damage that had been done was on his leather jacket. It was something he would have to see Doctor Tenma about later, but for now, he had a girl he had to keep an eye on.


	4. Livian the Bully ButtKicker

"She's getting hurt."  
Paine-Final Fantasy X-2

Eternal Bond

Chapter 3

Livian sat on her favorite swing in Yoko Park, watching the sunset in the evening sky. This had been the very park where she and Daichi first met as children. It had continued to serve as a place of salvation for them both over the years and each always knew they could find the other there.

Now more than ever, the park served as a place of solitude since the disappearance of her best friend. At that moment she wanted nothing more than to simply appear where ever Daichi was hiding. After all the damage she had been told he caused, he had to be laying low from the authorities for a little while. In her mind, it was the only plausible reason as to why he would be gone for so long. He had promised her they would always be together. He may be an arrogant jerk at times, but he did have a sense of honor and he would never break a promise, especially to her.

She contrasted with the innocent scene of the park, dressed in black leather boots, black jeans, a black tube top, and a black leather coat that reached past her knees. Around her neck was a black velvet choker with three rubies imbedded in it. Dangling from the choker was a gold butterfly with two rubies serving as the body, the tips of its wings also dotted with the tiny red gems. On her left wrist was a gold cuff with a large blue gem in it that had a thin crack running though the center of it.

"I told ya she was here!" the cry awaked her from her train of thought and she looked up to see her two friends, Jace and Athena, walking towards her. Both of the androids were 5'5, but that is where the similarity ended. Jace had shoulder length black hair, autumn gold eyes, and milky pale skin, giving her the appearance of a vampire. She was dressed in a red and black silk tank top with spaghetti straps, black trousers, and black ankle boots. Athena had wavy pecan colored hair and royal blue eyes. Her skin had a peaches and cream complexion to it, allowing her the appearance of a harmless human girl. She was dressed in faded blue jeans, white sneakers, and a light blue tee shirt.

"I knew we'd find you here," Jace continued, "How did the party go? Did you get to beat up Lamp?"

"It went okay and no, I didn't. He became too...occupied to bitch and complain about robots and androids," Livian replied, holding back a laugh.

"Busy with what?" Athena asked, noticing the smile now on Livian's face. "He always has time to complain about our kind."

"Let me put it this way: One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor!" Livian sang, allowing the laugh she'd been holding in to escape as she remembered the sight of Mayor Lamp singing off key and dancing on his dining room table.

Both Jace and Athena's eyes widened in shock as they stood there gaping for a few moments before Athena was the first to speak.

"H-He was drunk?!"

Livian nodded and pulled out a bright orange CD case, a mischievous grin on her face, "Yep! And I got the whole thing on DVD!" She continued to laugh, Athena and Jace soon joining in as visions of a drunken Mayor Bakamono Lamp danced though their minds. Once they had managed to get the laughter out of their system, Athena moved onto a more important subject: Taking down Tokugawa once and for all.

"His younger brother, Liam Tokugawa, is founder and producer of Kali Records. He's holding auditions three days from now. He's been going around saying that he wants to find Metro City's newest star," Athena said as she removed a folded up piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Livian. The flyer proudly declared:

THINK YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES

TO BE THE NEXT BIG HIT?

THEN BE AT PHOENIX PLAZA ON APRIL 15, 2019

AND SHOW YOUR STUFF TO KALI RECORDS!

"This would allow us to get close to Tokugawa," Livian said as she studied the poster in her hands.

"Yeah and with that singing and dancing talent of yours, you'll be signed up like that," said Jace, snapping her fingers.

"One problem, though." Livian moved some tendrils of her blonde hair away from her face, showing them the scar they had seen so many times before. "As good as this plan might be, it wouldn't work. Record producers are extremely picky, especially when it comes to female singers. A guy having a scar is one thing, but females have to be flawless! If they don't look like china dolls, than they don't have a shot. Besides, after what before..."

"Sorry," Jace apologized, "Didn't mean to upset you; I guess I forgot what bitches music producers are." Everyone in the gang remembered how Livian had been screwed over. It was an old wound for her that obviously still needed time to heal.

"Hey! Cut it out!"

The sudden plea quickly drew Livian's attention, brining her out of her reverie and back into the real world. She turned towards the source of the voice, her hands clenching into fists and her eyes narrowing dangerously at the sight that greeted her eyes. On the road were three very thuggish looking boys, a short one with curly dark blonde hair and a clown nose, a fat one with messy short brown hair and goggles around his close-set eyes, and a tall skinny one with long black hair in a pony tail and a smug grin, blocking the path of a boy with shiny and rather pointy black hair. There was a paper bag filled with oranges, which the three boys were using as projectiles. Without another moment's hesitation, Livian put aside everything she had been doing and stalked over towards the bullies.

"Think we should stop her?" Athena asked, knowing full well what was most likely to happen to the punks. The two than looked at each other and spoke their decision in unison, "Nah!". With that said, they both walked up to get a better look at the confrontation.

"You and every other machine ought to be turned off ya piece of junk!" the boy with the long dark hair said before he threw another orange, "All machines do is get in the way!"

"Oh yeah, that's a brilliant idea!" Livian spoke up, stepping up between the path of the three boys and their victim, "Turn off all the cars and computers and send the world into a second Great Depression! Oh yes, we'll be so much happier then!"

"Computers aren't machines!" the big fat one retorted, acting with an air of arrogance.

"Actually, baka, computers _are _machines," Livian's voice was cold and rather annoyed with the three boys that stood before her. "Then again, you have to have a brain to know that and from what I can see, you three are the type of people where wind blows in one ear and out the other!"

"She's gotta be pissed, she's insulting them in Japanese," Jace than looked over at the boy, "Psst! Kid! Get over here!" She nodded her head back in her and Athena's direction, watching as the boy walked over to them.

"Please excuse our friend," Athena glanced down at the boy and grinned at him, "She has a bit of a bully problem. Every time she sees someone being picked on, she has to intervene." Athena's gaze wandered back to where Livian stood defiant before the thugs, her arms crossed over her chest and her face expressionless.

"Get out of the way lady! This ain't none of your business!" The short one yelled, wanting to continue the torment with his friends.

"Yeah, well I just made it my business, so too bad. Now you can either walk away and _never _bother this kid again or..." she punched her left fist into her right palm, "we can do this the hard way. I've had a _very_ bad week and beating you up just might be the thing I need to help relieve the stress. So, what's it gonna be, run off with your tail between your legs and never pick on this boy again, or get your asses kicked by a girl? It's your choice."

"But lady, you don't understand," cried the fat one, "that's not a kid, that's a robot! He deserves it!"

"Oh, is that a fact?" Livian looked over at the boy and then at her two friends, asking them a silent question. They responded with an understanding nod and looked back over at the bullies.

"Just so ya know boys, you just signed your death warrants," Jace taunted in a singsong voice before letting out a mischievous chuckle.

"My two friends over there just happen to be androids," Livian took two long steps towards them, a glint of murder in her sapphire eyes. The boys could see that there was something different about her and knew right then that the fat one had said the wrong thing. They quickly took a few steps back, now fearing for their lives, watching in silent horror as Livian spoke again, "My best friend just happens to be a robot. We've been friends since we were five and you have the audacity to say that robots deserve to suffer!"

With that final line spoken, all three boys turned a ghostly shade of white, swiftly turning on their heels and running as though the hounds of Hell were after them. Livian stood there, fists clenched tightly, letting out short and rapid breaths as she watched the cowards run off, wanting nothing more than to chase them and give them a taste of their own medicine. Instead, she closed her eyes and breathed in slow cleansing breaths before reopening them and gazing over at the boy she had protected. "Are you okay? I'm sorry about that," her tone was now soft and calmed, "I got a bit carried away. As my friends have probably told you, I have a bit of a bully problem."

"I'm okay, thanks for the help. I didn't expect anyone to come to my rescue," he gave her a friendly smile, almost as if letting her know that he did not have a problem with the scene that had just unfolded before him.

"Helping bully victims out is kind of a specialty of mine, I guess. So, what's your name?"

"Astro."

"Astro? You mean the same Astro that's been saving Metro City? The same Astro Mayor Lamp has been complaining about?" Livian asked, wanting to be sure her information was correct.

"Yeah, that would be me," he said meekly.

A bright smile instantly graced Livian's face and she held out her hand to the boy, "Name's Livian, it's an honor to meet you, Astro. I have a feeling you and I are going to be very good friends." Once they shook hands, she immediately stood up, the smile still on her face, "Come on, why don't I walk with you the rest of the way to your place. I don't have anything better to do for the moment and it'll give us a chance to get to know each other better." She looked back over at Athena and Jace, "I'll meet up with you guys later, and I want to be sure he gets home okay without any problems."

"All right, well see ya later," Jace said, giving her a wave of her hand.

* * *

"And that is how you beat the final boss in Kingdom Hearts 2," Livian concluded, "but I'm pretty sure you'll find an easier way to beat it. The game maybe old, but it's still pretty cool. Oh, this is your stop, isn't it?" She looked up at the house, being reminded for a brief moment of the house she and her sister used to live in with their father.

"Yeah, this is the place. Hey, you wanna come inside for a little bit?" Astro asked, looking up at the blonde.

"I shouldn't, I don't want to be a bother to anyone," Livian replied.

"Please? You won't be in the way and I'm sure Dr. O'Shay will want to meet you!"

Livian looked down at the boy and sighed, unable to resist his innocent charm and cuteness. "Okay, but only for a little bit, I have to meet some friends of mine later on." She watched as he smiled at her and led her inside, studying the living room before she heard the sound of footsteps running towards them.

"Hey there, Astro! Who's your friend?" A girl with short metallic black hair in a pink dress and white dress asked as she looked up at Livian with wide eyes.

"I'm Livian, and who might you be?"

"I'm Zoran. Hey, you look like that lady Dr. O'Shay is talking too," Zoran commented as she continued to study Livian's face. Then, as if the Fates themselves had planned out the entire event to a T, Dr. O'Shay walked out of his office with a young girl. Her face was identical to Livian's, possessing not only the same skin tone, but the same sapphire blue eyes and blonde hair. One of the differences between them was that this girl had her hair in a stylish shoulder length cut that fanned out, only slightly framing her face. There was also a small part in her bangs to her right of her face, revealing the slightest hint of her thin eyebrows. She was dressed in black shoes, neutral colored hose, and a gray business suit that consisted of a knee length skirt and a matching jacket and showed some of the white blouse she was wearing underneath.

Livian's eyes went wide and before she could stop herself, she called out to the girl, "Lucy?!"

"Livian?!" Lucy Mio Kiribayashi called out in response, the two girls walking up to each other, their eyes both wide with shock.

"What are you doing there?" they both spoke in unison. "Me?! I could ask you the same thing."

"Well, if you must know, I had a job interview with Dr. O'Shay. What about you?"

"Eh... Well that is a long and _complicated _story that I really wouldn't want to bore you with," Livian said, knowing full well that Lucy would be able to translate to what she was really saying.

Before the conversation between the twins could continue, Dr. O'Shay cleared this throat, regaining the attention of Lucy and the others. "I take it you know this young lady, Miss Kiribayashi?" he motioned his head over to Livian.

Lucy nodded, quick to introduce the two, not wanting to appear rude to her possible future employer, "Dr. O'Shay, this is my twin sister, Livian. Livian, this is Dr. O'Shay."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Livian greeted politely with a customary bow before she looked down at her watch. "I hate to cut this meeting short, but I'm afraid I have to go now. Besides, I wouldn't want to be a bother to my sister during her interview." Her gaze then fell upon her identical twin, "I'll pick you up something to eat, does Greek sound good?"

"Yeah, sounds great, thanks Liv," Lucy said, giving her a thankful smile.

"No problem, I'll see you all later," Livian waved goodbye to Astro and the others before she turned and walked to the abandoned warehouse district where the headquarters of the Demon Royals resided.

* * *

Metro City's abandoned warehouse district was a popular spot for the local gangs, outcasts, and misfits to hang about. The police had learned long ago it was just a huge waste of time going there every night whenever something happened there because something would always happen there every night. The police had hoped that by leaving the warehouse crowd alone, they would eventually kill each other off. However, the police had failed to realize the strong loyalty the gangs had towards their members and their allies. This had allowed them to form their own little government that went by a different and surprising set of rules that actually allowed for some peace among the people.

And leading this government of gangs was none other than the Demon Royals, one of the most powerful and well-respected motorcycle gangs within the warehouse district. Daichi had been acting as leader of this secret government, but since his disappearance, Livian had taken over until his return. Just about everyone, except for one, had voted that she should be the one to take charge in his absence. She was open minded, street smart, patient, and an excellent listener. All of these traits made it much more easier to settle disputes ranging from two rival gangs ready to draw blood at a moments notice to a scuffle between thieves over who got what share of the loot. Despite this peace, there were still some gangs that refused to be ruled over. These gangs had run away from the warehouse district and had moved to other parts of the city where they tried to build their own system of command. That was not working so well for them because of the fact that they would either get caught by the Metro City Police or would be beaten by one of the warehouse district gangs, consequently loosing their turf.

The warehouse where the Demon Royals resided was a large brick building, the largest in the district, with ornate glass windows and a set of old steel double doors with glass view finders in each door that allowed for quick warning should the police become bored and start a raid.

"Hey Livian!"

"Livian! What's up?"

"Yo, Livian! How's it going?"

These were the greetings Livian received as she made her way to Demon Royals HQ. Not only did the other gangs see her as a leader, they also considered her a friend and at times, even a sister to them. They would give their very lives to protect her from any harm.

She approached the double doors and gave the customary knock that allowed the guards to know she was one of them. A set of eyes then peered though the glass and opened the door for her, the guards nodding their head as she walked past. The inside of the warehouse was lavishly decorated in black, crimson, and gold, the official colors of the Demon Royals.

"Any new business for me?" Livian asked a large African-American with a yellow Mohawk who went by the name of Toro. He was one of the biggest members of the gang who not only had size on his side, but for a human, was incredibly strong.

"Nope, actually been pretty quiet today. Oh, Saburou said he wanted to see you, said your baby was finished. He's playing video games with Jace if ya wanna find him."

"Thanks. Keep me updated," she smiled at him before she walked away.

Livian stepped in the living room area, which consisted of a black leather couch, two black recliners, a big screen plasma television that had almost every gaming system in existence hooked too it, an oak coffee table, and a wood floor with a crimson and gold throw rug under the table that Livian had made. When Livian wasn't running and fighting gangs, she was weaving rugs. While not working for an employer, she helped her sister cater parties. Lucy also served as her agent, fixing Livian up with clients who would want authentic woven rug.

On the couch sat Saburou and Jace, playing the latest Mortal Kombat game on the slick silver and black Playstation 5. Jace took the role of Jade while Saburou took the role of Scorpion, both so immersed in the game that even with their advanced hearing, they did not notice Livian walk in and watch their fight.

"Ha ha! I win again!" Jace cried, jumping from her seat and doing a victory dance. She spun around a few times before stopping in mid step, blushing a deep red when she noticed Livian standing there with a smirk on her face.

"You'll have to teach me that one," Livian said, chuckling.

Saburou turned in his seat and smiled at her before he too got up from his seat and walked over towards her, "Hey there Vi, you ready to see the job I did on your baby?" The "baby" in question was Livian's rocket motorcycle, it needed a new paint job and Saburou had offered to fix it up for her. He watched as Livian's face lit up, taking her by the shoulder and leading her to the garage, telling her to close her eyes as he led her onward. "Keep them closed, okay?" He walked over to the motorcycle, which was covered in thick black cloth, which he quickly pulled away, "Open your eyes."

Livian did as he asked, her hands quickly covering her mouth. Her eyes widened in shock before she took a cautious step towards her rocket bike, "Oh my God, Saburou, it's beautiful!" Her bike was gun metal black with a picture of a silver nine-tail kitsune on it with the words "Moon Kitsune" on one side. On the other side was another picture of a kitsune with the same words, only they were written in Japanese kanji. "Saburou...this is amazing! Th-thank you so much!"

"No big. You always get like this if someone does a favor for ya?" Saburou asked jokingly.

"Of course I do, I'm a human, remember," Livian said in the same joking tone, "Humans like to express their feelings, especially if a friend does something nice for them. Though... there are some humans that express their feelings even when those feelings aren't really good."

Than, almost as if on cue, the voices of members of other gangs started to jeer and taunt as if they were seeing something disgusting. Livian and Saburou ran to the nearest window, sticking their heads out to see what all the ruckus was about. Walking towards Demon Royals HQ was a girl about 5'6 with long curly brunette hair with neon pink streaks running though it. She had gorgeous smoky gray eyes, perfectly tanned skin, and full pouty lips. She was dressed in pink spike heels, pink hot pants and a matching pink bikini top, her outfit leaving little to the imagination. This was none other than Keri Anna, Daichi's _actual_ girlfriend, the one who had _not_ voted for Livian to run the gang and the warehouse district.

"Bitch!"

"Slut!"

"Ho!"

"Skank!"

"Whore!"

Keri seemed unbothered by this name calling, continuing her confident stride onward. As far as everyone in the district was concerned, she was the snobbiest, cold hearted, and annoying android they had come to meet. No one understood why Livian didn't kick her out of the Demon Royals, she had the power after all, and everyone knew that they were on _extremely _bad terms. Keri liked to tease her that she had gotten her pink claws into Daichi before Livian had a chance. This was another reason why everyone hated her so much, they believed that Livian and Daichi were meant for each other and that Keri had blinded him to what he could have had. She was the other woman and they all despised her for it, the other gangs had even come up with their own clever nickname for her that they had gotten from an old anime.

"Maybe they're going to skip on the chanting this time..." Livian commented.

The Fates, with their odd sense of humor, decided to prove Livian wrong. The voice of a young woman was the first to initiate the infamous chant that Keri Anna despised so much. "Kikyo..."

"Guess ya spoke too soon, Vi," Saburou spoke, both of them still watching the scene with grins on their faces.

A few other voices quickly joined in and soon, almost the entire warehouse district, including almost all of the members of the Demon Royals, were all chorused in the chant.

"Kikyo...Kikyo...Kikyo..."

They chanted the name over and over and over again, snickering in delight as they watched Keri's demur change from confidence to annoyance. She tried to continue onward, but the chanting just grew louder and louder and louder. Even when she approached the double doors and gave the customary knock, the guards would not let her in for they too had joined in the name-calling. Keri balled her hands into fists and spun around to confront the legions of chanters.

"My name is Keri Anna! Keri Anna! I am _NOT_ called Kikyo! Stop calling me that stupid name! I don't even know who she is! I _will _tell Daichi about all of this once he gets back and you will all be punished for your disrespect!"

"It'll be worth the pain if he dumps your sorry ass first, bitch!" a guy cried out, everyone shouting in agreement before they went back to their chanting.

Livian walked back down the lounge area, giving the go ahead to the guards to allow Keri entrance into the old building. As soon as the doors were opened, the pink clad android marched right up to Livian until they were only mere inches apart. Fury shown in her smoky gray eyes, her long fingers twitching as if being restrained from doing something terrible.

"I bet you enjoyed that you weak little human," Keri growled.

"I'm not the one who encouraged them to start it. Just because I'm running things for a little while does not mean I control the people's free will," Livian explained calmly, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Which is exactly why I should be the one in charge! I am his girlfriend after all, or did you forget that? Oh wait, I almost forgot, you're in love with your 'best friend', so you've deluded yourself into thinking that he loves you in return. Well, here's a reality check, _human_, Daichi is my boyfriend; he's been my boyfriend for the last two years. He will never be yours, so I suggest you get over it and find someone in your own class. Daichi is way out of your league!" With that said, Keri threw her nose up to the air and walked off, leaving behind a room of now very murderous people and one very ticked off Livian.

"Damn it, Liv, kick her out already!" Jace cried, glaring at her friend, "You hate her just as much as everyone else here does and she treats you like shit! She should be showing you the respect you deserve; you've known Daichi a hell of a lot longer than her! You have the power, Liv! Use it!"

"Trust me, it's more than tempting, but I can't. Like she said, she's Daichi's girlfriend and I can't do that to him. I may not get along with her, but that doesn't give me the right to take away something that makes Daichi happy."

Before Jace could continue her argument, a guy about 6'0 with reddish brown hair and hazel eyes that were hidden behind a pair of thin wire frame glasses stepped up between them. "Sorry to interrupt ya, Jace," said Andre, the gang's master computer hacker, "but I need to speak to Livian privately about a few things." Jace just nodded before she went into the next room to try and find something to take her frustration out on. Livian just silently followed, knowing that anything he had to say to her would be important. She had asked him to dig up a composite of all the places Daichi might go into hiding if he should ever need to.

"I did a through search of the city and I've been able to come up with a list of where Daichi might be. On the top of that list is the home of some guy named Dr. Tenma, the guy who built him. That would probably be the best place to check out first," before Andre could continue, Livian was off like a rocket towards the garage, putting on her black and purple shades, about half way toward her motorcycle when she suddenly froze in mid run.

"Damn it all! I almost forgot! Saburou, get over here!"

"Hey, what did I do?" Saburou asked as he walked over to the garage where Livian was.

"Nothing, I need ya to do me a favor," She reached into her pocket, pulled out a thick roll of cash and tossed it over to him, "You know that new Greek restaurant that just opened up, Demeter's Garden?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"I promised Lucy I'd pick up some dinner for tonight, but something just came up, so I can't. Can ya do it for me, just tell her I'm stuck in traffic or something? I got a menu with the stuff she likes highlighted up in my room. I know it's a lot to ask after what you did for my motorcycle, but could you do this one little thing for me?"

"Of course I'll do it! Anything for you, toots! Besides, it'll give me a chance to spend time with that gorgeous sister of yours," He grinned at her and gave her a wink.

"Yeah, well just remember, hurt her and I'll kick your ass," she said with the same smirk before she mounted her rocket motorcycle. "Thanks again, I owe ya one," and with that said, Livian revved up bike and drove off into the night.


	5. Almost Discovered Secrets

Author's Note: IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ! Hey all, it's me again. Sorry for the delay, but I recently lost my beta reader due to real life. He didn't die, some stuff came up in his life and I don't want to be a pain in the butt and nag him about beta reading this story. So if anyone out there is interested, please say so in you're review and leave your E-mail address so that I may contact you ASAP. Furthermore, I found out the name of the blue haired guy Atlas was talking to that is in the motorcycle gang with him. The one who likes Lucy in this fan fic. It's Saburou, so I changed the name from Leo back to his real one. I apologize for any confusion I may cause people, but I want to be as true to the Astro Boy series as possible. I would also like to give a special thank you to JeffBert for helping me out with the technical information mentioned in this chapter.

"Is it you? Or does he just look like you?"  
Yuna-Final Fantasy X-2

Eternal Bond

Chapter 4

_Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid! I can't believe that I was so freaking stupid! How in the hell could I forget about Dr. Tenma?! Gods, I feel like an idiot!_

These had been Livian's thoughts on the way to Dr. Tenma's refuge. It had been a long time since she had seen the man who had created Daichi. She had first met him when she and Daichi were ten. He had gotten into an accident and some of the circuits in his right arm had jammed, making it incapable of movement. He had to be taken to Tenma right away so that repairs could be made and to be sure there wasn't any more serious damage. Tokugawa, of course, hadn't been there for Daichi, he had been off on some business venture and wouldn't be back for another week. The limo driver had been the one to take Daichi to see Tenma, Livian, Lucy, and their father following in suit. Livian had been insistent that she stay by Daichi's side.

"Sweetheart, he may not let us in," her father had cautioned her, "We're not Daichi's family."

"Yeah, but I'm his best friend, that's close enough," Livian had replied as they had approached the door to Tenma's house. Livian and Lucy had watched as their father knocked lightly on the door. When it opened, there stood a tall man with a long beard on his chin that matched the style of his hair and a long nose. His expression had been blank as he regarded the three strangers at his doorstep.

"Can I help you?" his voice had been monotone, as if he had been getting ready to slam the door in their faces.

As Livian and Lucy's father started explaining why they were here, Livian had peered behind the doorway, searching as far into the house as she could. A smile had quickly graced her face when she saw Daichi, sitting on small check up table, swinging his legs and looking rather bored. His sensitive ears had caught the sound of familiar voices and he had looked over to see Livian, Lucy, and their father, who was still speaking with Dr. Tenma.

"Livian, what are you doing here?" Daichi had asked, surprised to see that he actually had visitors.

"We came to see you, silly," Livian grinned before she looked up at Dr. Tenma, "May I sit next to him, sir?

Tenma had looked down at the girl with the same blank expression on his face before he gave an approving nod, holding the door open as she ran to Daichi's side, allowing the rest of her family inside as well.

Livian had watched anxiously as Dr. Tenma cut away sections from Daichi's arm and removed what appeared to be a cracked blue gem. She noted the tremors in the arm, before and during the procedure gave way to what she feared was permanent paralysis. She asked him about it, and he explained that the blue gem was a motor-control device that did for robots the same thing that the primary and secondary motor cortices do for humans. "The blue gem, as you call it, and parts of the human brain control the movement of arms and legs. In this case, the uncontrolled movements were caused by the damage, much the same as stroke victims are likewise paralyzed and sometimes suffer from involuntary movement."  
  
"Can you fix him?" Livian had hesitantly asked, fearful of a 'no' response.  
  
"I made him, I can certainly repair him. I just need to install a new motion-control device." Temna answered reassuringly, having noted at the time that for a human, Livian showed great concern for a robot.

"Daichi...does it hurt?" Livian had asked once the doctor was gone, concerned that he might be in pain.

Daichi had smiled and squeezed her hand lightly and told her, "Not anymore."

They had been so innocent back then. Things had changed for them so much over the last few years that sometimes Livian wished she could turn back time and go back to the way things were before Daichi had vanished and before Keri Anna had come along and swooped Daichi away like a hawk with a freshly caught mouse. It had been around that time when Livian had realized her feelings for her childhood friend ran much deeper than she would admit. It had taken a long time for her to see that she was very much in love with him and it was just as she was beginning to understand this feeling that Keri had come along and changed everything.

_Better not think about it too much. Don't want to be a bad mood when you speak to Dr. Tenma. _Livian thought as she parked her motorcycle in front of his lair, a large dark copper colored building that appeared to be built in the shape of a bird. _Kind of like a hawk watching over the entire city. I wonder if he'll remember me, it's been a while since I've last seen him. _She looked down at her arms, where she now carried a box of custard cream filled pan and daifuku. She had stopped at one of the Japanese bakeries and picked up a small box to give Tenma, wanting to be a proper guest and hoping they would help persuade him to talk to her if all else should fail. _I just hope he likes sweets._

* * *

"What the hell happened to me?! Why didn't that blade cut my arm off?!" Atlas demanded, his now green eyes glaring at the man who had given him this power.

"Patience is a virtue, my friend. Figuring these things out takes time," Doctor Tenma replied as he finished inspecting the very arm that had shattered the vibro-blade that should have sliced clean through it. "Now, why exactly have you returned here? The last I saw, you were floating off into space."

"I have some business I have to finish," Atlas flatly stated.

A knock on the door disrupted their conversation, both of them looking up at the monitors to see who would be there at such an hour of the night. When the screens switched on, there stood a girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, dressed all in black and carrying a small white box.

"Livian?! What the hell is she doing here?!" Atlas asked, his eyes wide with alarm.

"Is she unaware of your return? I would have thought you talked with her since you were following her around last night, or have you taken to stalking now?"

"Not funny," Atlas growled, "No, she doesn't know I'm back yet and I don't want her to know yet either! Just go and talk to her until she leaves!" Atlas then ran over to the other room, keeping himself hidden in the shadows as he watched Tenma open the door and welcome the girl inside.

* * *

"I hope I'm not keeping you from any important work, Dr. Tenma," Livian said as she stepped into Tenma's living room, handing in the small white box, "I brought these for you, I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, thank you," Tenma then gave Livian a rather curious smile, "You've grown quite a bit since I last saw you."

Livian blushed, "Thank you, that's very kind of you to say."

"Is there any particular reason why you came to see me? It has been a long time since we last saw each other." Tenma took a seat on the nearest lounge chair, his penetrating gaze fixed on her.

"I came here concerning a matter of great importance, at least it is to me, I don't know what you'll think; it concerns Daichi." Livian took the seat opposite Dr. Tenma, her face growing pensive as she continued, "He's been missing for a long time now and I'm very worried about him. I've done almost everything I could to try and find him, I've looked in all of his hang outs, my friends and I have done search parties, hell I even looked in some of the jails! I was hoping that maybe you knew where he was and if you did, could you tell me? I've been worried about him ever since he disappeared! I need to see him! I need to know he's okay! If you can't tell me where he is yet, at least tell me if he's all right or not! I'll get on my knees and beg if I have to, just please, if you know anything at all..." Livian stopped her worried ranting as Dr. Tenma's hand rested upon her arm.

"Livian, first of all, breath. You're going to need air in your lungs sooner or later, you're only human after all."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to rant," Livian apologized, "I'm just really concerned about him. I haven't been able to sleep ever since he vanished." Livian brushed aside some tendrils of blonde hair from her downcast face.

Tenma could see that Livian was telling the truth, there were dark circles under her sapphire eyes and her features were etched with sorrow. It was then that he noticed the small thin diagonal scar on her left cheek. "What happened?" he asked, his eyes studying the mark.

"Oh, that, it's just an old wound," Livian explained away quickly, not wanting to get into the details.

Tenma just raised one eyebrow with a questioning slant, before he stepped away from the girl, "I'll be right back. There's something I need to fetch quickly." He watched as Livian simply nodded, turning around and looking at her from over his shoulder, "You know, you almost sound like you're in love with him."

Livian's face instantly became the same color as Daichi's hair, her gaze now falling onto the floor as she started fidgeting in her seat, "I...um...eh...err...I...He has a girlfriend named Keri Anna. I'm just the best friend."

Tenma just nodded and walked away, leaving a now very red Livian in her seat. She was surprised that he had figured it out, or at least made a good guess at it. Then again, most of the people who knew her and Daichi could see that she had deep feelings for him right away. Some of their friends had even decided amongst themselves to start giving them nicknames of infamous anime and video game couples since they supposedly made a good pair. The names included Kagome and Inuyasha, Sae and Itsuki, Yuna and Tidus, Kyo and Yuya, Aerith and Cloud, Kayko and Yusuke, and Lenne and Shuyin.

Livian chuckled at the remembrance of the names, wondering if their friends and fellow gang members had seen too much anime. She stood up from her seat, her eyes studying every detail as she walked into the lab. _He's certainly dedicated to his work. Maybe he can help me out in more ways than one._ As she walked onward, she noticed an odd shape from the corner of her eye that almost seemed to be hiding itself from her. She took a few more steps forward until she was standing directly in front what she now saw to be a robot. It was red and navy blue, with deep green eyes and olive colored face. There was no movement to it, so Livian assumed it must have been deactivated as her slender hand reached up and gently touched the robot's face. _Why does he remind me so much of Daichi? I wonder if this is what his robot form might have looked like? _Her fingers continued their innocent exploration downward until she held the robot's hand in her own. She studied each digit carefully, her warm skin tracing along the cool metal of his hand, wrist, and fingers. As she continued her silent inspection, she had the strangest feeling that she was being watched. She looked up into the robot's green eyes, waiting to see if it would blink or make some sort of voice of protest against her touch. She knew a good deal of robots despised humans because of the cruel way some humans treated them. The Blue Knight was certainly famous for fighting for robot rights and despite her equal treatment towards them, she feared what he might do to her if she were to run into him in a dark alley. Yet at the same time, she felt a certain familiarity towards the one who despised the entire human race. She never really knew why- the only guess she could make was that he reminded her of Daichi. Her hand closed around the robot's as she continued to look at him in awe and wonder. She had never met any of the other robots Tenma had created, Daichi was the only one she had ever known and she could not help but wonder what this robot would be like. _Will you be like Daichi or will you be like the Blue Knight?_ With her mind now back on her secret love, she rested her head on the robot's shoulder, her eyes closed as she fought back tears. _I miss you so much, Daichi._ She thought before she realized she had also spoken it aloud. Her breath caught in her throat when she felt a small pressure on the hand that held the robot's, hers instinctively squeezing back in response. She stayed still, now sensing Daichi's presence somewhere in the room. She then felt the robot's thumb grazing it's way across her knuckles in a feather light caress as she slowly lifted her head back up to meet the robot's eyes, daring to wonder for that brief moment if this robot before her had been the one she'd been searching for. If this was her best friend in his altered form, then he had to be masquerading as something else to hide himself from her. Her lips started to move, about to voice the one question that would solve everything.

"Livian?" Came Dr. Tenma's voice, pulling the young girl out of her revere. Livian again turned crimson and gently stepped away from the robot, her mind still reeling with unanswered questions.

"Sorry, Doctor Tenma, I guess I got a little carried away," With the blush still on her face, she took one final glance at the robot before she followed Tenma back into the living room.

"Livian, there is something I must ask you," Tenma began, his gaze on her still sharp as ever as his tone became dark, "Do you know the truth about Daichi's caretaker, Tokugawa?"

"Yes, I do. I admit, I never witnessed any of it, but Daichi told me about it many times," Livian wondered if it was wise of her to be telling Tenma this, if he were to find out what she and the Demon Royals were planning, he could easily call the Metro City police and have her and the others arrested.

"And you wish Tokugawa for his mistreatment of Daichi, correct?"

"Yes...I would."

To her surprise, Tenma actually smiled and led her over to a mirror that hung on a nearby wall. He pushed aside the strands of hair that hid her scar from the world and tucked them behind her ear. "I have something for you...something that may help you out and allow you to confront Tokugawa." He then lifted up a metallic blue object that looked a lot like laser pointer. He pressed down on the small silver button, a thin red beam coming from it. Tenma traced the red light across her scar, her breath catching in her throat yet again as her scar vanished from sight.

"Something I invented in my college days," he explained, placing the object into Livian's hand. "I figured it might come in use someday and I see now I was right to think so."

Livian continued to gape in awe in the mirror at the sight before her. She knew it was not that big of a change, but at the same time, it was. She no longer possessed the one single flaw that kept her from singing auditions and possible record deals. Her fingers lightly touched her left cheek, her face becoming crest fallen as she still felt the old wound on her cheek, it's appearance returning after she traced the scar's pattern.

"You mustn't touch your face after you apply this, otherwise you're scar will appear again. It is only a cover up I'm afraid, it will not remove it. I do apologize for bringing your hopes up, I should have explained first."

"It's quite all right," Livian said, putting the scar cover into her jacket pocket. "If I may ask though, there is something else I wish to speak to you about. Do you know anything about cybernetics? The deal with a human merging with machine parts and whatnot."

"I know enough, why do you ask?"

"I've been thinking on the subject for a while now and if something should happen to me, I would like to know I have something that could help me."

"And you feel becoming a cyborg would be the best plan to help you out, should such a case arise?" Tenma asked with a raised eyebrow. Livian nodded and watched as Tenma seemed to ponder on what he should do before he responded, "There are only certain body types that can survive becoming a cyborg, I would have to run a few tests to see if your body would be able to survive having metal implanted in such a way. Meet with me next week and I'll run the tests and if they show your body can survive, we'll go from there."

"Thank you!" Livian cried, a bright smile now on her angelic face. "You have no idea how much this means to me, thank you." She bowed before him, the smile still alight on her face. "And thank you again for your device, I'm sure I will put it to good use. Again, I apologize if I bothered you at all tonight. I'll be on my way so I won't be anymore of a nuisance." She was bound for the door when Dr. Tenma's voice once again brought her attention.

"Livian...about Daichi...I'm afraid I cannot tell you much, but I can tell you that he's safe."

Livian smiled at Doctor Tenma one last time before she stepped back out into the world of Metro City, her hopes higher than ever and mind now at ease to know that Daichi was okay.


	6. Author's Note Please Read!

To all the readers of Eternal Bond,

First off, I want to thank all of you for taking the time to check out my fan fic and giving it such wonderful feedback. I really do appreciate it more than anything else. I haven't worked on it in awhile due to a lot of reasons, but mostly because I'm currently working on two original novels at the same time (along with a NaNoWriMo this month) and thus I've been kept distracted.

However, due to all the requests I've received, I've decided I'm going to continue this fan fic. It will be a rewrite though, so please keep in mind the story you've currently read will more than likely be _very _different from the rewrite. If anything else, this story also needs to be treated with the best of care, hence the rewrite.

Before I can do all of this, I need, above all else, a beta reader. For those of you who don't know, a beta reader is someone who looks over a fan fic, helps to correct the grammar (and my grammar skills are tragic, I assure you) and give advice to the plot of the fan fic itself. This might be tricky given the fact there aren't too many fans of the 2003 version of the series and as what I've recently discovered, not a lot of people seem to like Livian. So if anyone here is interested in being beta reader for my fan fic, all I ask for at this point is that your grammar skills are decent, that you're familiar with the 2003 series and aren't some crazy fantard that hates the character of Livian. If you feel you meet these standards, please send me a PM on my account and let me know. From there, I'll give you my E-mail address (along with IM screen names in which to contact me with so we may talk one on one) and we can talk from there.

Thank you all again for the love you've shown to this story, and hopefully, I'll hear back from one of you about being a beta reader for the rewrite of this fan fic.

Thank You,

AlexiaWinters


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